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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · track · tube · ground · court · rash · cue · bulb

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — a series
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — a container
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cue — a hint
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com